


Sweet memories from a time long gone

by FunWithPuns



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Gen, first fanfic on here, it was an excuse just to write about soldiers having a nice night together, look I didn’t edit this, the captain has a few nice memories with soldiers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-07 07:49:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19205038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FunWithPuns/pseuds/FunWithPuns
Summary: All was quiet, for once in The Button house.The Captain, marched through the silent house, checking most rooms before bedtime. Only the ones that don't have someone sleeping in it. It had been a habit from the years, both when he was dead and alive, of living in the house. To check on the others, and to make sure there were no intruders.In which songs remind the captain of happy nights when he was in the army, and Alison finds him, still awake at a godless hour.My writing is usually better than this I swear





	Sweet memories from a time long gone

All was quiet, for once in The Button house.  
The Captain, marched through the silent house, checking most rooms before bedtime. Only the ones that don't have someone sleeping in it. It had been a habit from the years, both when he was dead and alive, of living in the house. To check on the others, and to make sure there were no intruders.  
He stopped at the darkened living room, faint noises coming from said room. Contemplating whether to check, knowing that the house creaks all the time, he walks into the room, only to find that it was in fact he radio that was creating the noise. Someone, most likely Julian, left it on and forgot to turn it off.  
He grumbled to himself, unable to turn it off, and unable to get help as both the ghosts, Alison and her boyfriend were fast asleep.   
He turned around, going to leave the room and wake Julian up to turn off the damn radio, something from the radio grabbed his attention instead. The Captain furrowed his brows, listening to the radio. Was it?... it was… It was a song from when he was alive.   
Hesitantly, he walked closer to it, sitting down straight on a nearby chair, and closely listened. It seemed to be ‘good morning, mr zip-zip-zip’.   
He closed his eyes, simply focusing on the song, as his mind wandered, which was never an uncommon thing for his mind to do.

During wartime, peace was almost nonexistent. The soldiers found their own ways to keep morale high, even in the darkest moments.  
On quiet nights, when they were safe away from their enemies, they used to sing songs. The captain reminisced those nights, with a small smile on his face. It always felt similar to the nights when you went camping, and sang around a fire.  
It always started with one man singing a tune, maybe not necessarily a wartime tune, but perhaps a love song. Those were always popular amongst these men. The Captain could never quite recall which songs though.  
Then a few people would join in, singing. None of them were particularly gifted singers, they never were, but nobody cared. They just wanted to take their minds off of their death sentences.  
The song would change, when the other song finished, and other soldiers joined in. Sometimes even The Captain joined in.   
The tension in the air, that once suffocated them all, melted away, as they drank, and sung the songs that reminded them of a time not so long ago. When they were all happy.  
By the time they reached the chorus, they were singing so loudly, The Captain thought the jerries could hear them.  
Not that that thought stopped them.  
Damn if the Germans could hear.  
For once, let them have peace.  
They start taking requests, as some soldiers use any objects around them, tins, the floor, the chairs, as instruments, to carry the beat. They never had anything but their voice to carry the tune though.  
Some songs were commonly sung during these nights, ‘a long way to tipperary’, probably the only war song they ever sung, ‘we’ll meet again’, the most popular love song at the time, and, The Captain’s personal favourite, ‘a modern major general’.  
He was the one able to sing the whole song. The others would cheer, some sang along in the verses they knew, some just say and listened.   
Those were the nights where he received praises from the ones around him, instead of cold glares. He could be a part of the group, instead of having to bark orders at them.  
He wished he still remembered the lyrics, but since he became a ghost, there was no need for him to know the lyrics. He wouldn’t sing it to the other ghosts, they would not care.  
Intoxicated, a select few of the soldiers would dance, rather sillily, he recalled, as the alcohol worsened their coordination. The rest of them laughed and clapped along, enjoying the scene in front of them. It was always the jive, or free dancing, even when drunk, none of the men slow danced with each other, mainly because it would not work. They would trip over or even fall asleep.  
The Captain never joined in for the dancing, though the drunk soldiers tried to encourage him. He did not know how to dance, if he was honest, not to mention that his knees would not be able to do it. They creak and crack when he simply stands up as it is.  
The morning after, they would have to face reality, and head back to the battle. They would have to watch as friends and people they considered family die in front of them, or perhaps, they’d lose their life instead. They have to aim their guns at the enemy, knowing that many of them were just like them, scared, did not want to fight, did not want to die. They would have to constantly be on edge, knowing at any moment, they could be bombed, there could be traps. They were no longer safe, the peace had been destroyed.  
But that was in the morning, not the night.  
Only during the night did everyone enjoy themselves fully, feeling so far away from the war, away from the pain, anguish and fear that they dealt with every day. 

The Captain opened his eyes, his sight blurry from the tears that had started to form, memory slowly slipping from his mind. His chest tightened, as wave of sadness hit him. He wasn’t so sure as to why he was sad. Was it because the memory ended, was it because the happiness, peace, never lasted long enough, or was it because he never had moments like that any more. Maybe it was a mixture of them all.  
“God damn it, why can’t Julian turn off the radio himself.” He heard a voice behind him mutter, annoyed and tired. He turned around to find Alison, rubbing her eyes. She stopped, and glanced at The Captain, as he turned back to the radio. Why did she have to come in at this moment,”captain? Why are you awake at this hour?”  
He heard her footsteps come towards him, as she appeared in his peripheral. He simply shrugged, clearing his throat.  
“The same could be asked to you.” He replied, looking at her. He noticed her frown, and she sat down on the sofa.  
“I was unable to sleep because of the radio. The walls are like paper here.” She explained,”I thought it was Julian listening to the lottery or something again.”  
“He does love his gambling.” She hummed in agreement.  
“I’m guessing you’re listening to the radio then.”  
“Indeed.” He admitted quietly.  
She listened to the music for a moment,”Oh, this is old music. Is it from when you..”  
“When I was alive? Yes, it was.”   
Silence filled the room, neither of them quite sure what to say. It was insufferable.  
God knows how much time past, until Alison finally broke the silence again.  
“It must have been hard.. fighting in a war.” The Captain did not reply, but listened intently,”it must have been rather scarring, or I imagine it to be..” he knew where she was going with this, he remembered when Pat gave him the same talk,”you can always talk to me about it.. if you want, that is. I can’t force you to do anything.”  
“I know.” It was an automatic reply, something to ease her mind.  
She smiled slightly, standing up once again, before turning down the radio.  
“Anyway, I should sleep. I’ll leave it on for you, and give you some peace and quiet..” she spoke softly. He nodded slightly, looking downwards at his lap. Right, peace,”goodnight captain.”  
“Goodnight Alison.” Her heard her walk away, and let out a sigh. The actual war may be over, but he isn’t at peace. He never shall be.

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda added in the dialogue between Cap and Alison just so the story wasn’t so plain?.. I don’t know if it worked out.


End file.
